Top Five Reasons the Chiefs Will Bring Home the Hunt Trophy

Top Five Reasons the Chiefs Will Bring Home the Hunt Trophy – all of Chiefs Kingdom is excited about hosting the AFC Championship Game in Arrowhead Stadium for the second year in the row. Who can forget our near victory last year against the New England Patriots? Many of us are still not over that disappointing loss, but a win this Sunday will remedy that.

Instead of the Patriots, who lost in the Wild-Card round the first week of the playoffs (I absolutely love writing that!), we face the team that beat them, the Tennessee Titans, 20-13. Those same Titans upset the AFC top-seed Baltimore Ravens, 28-12. Much like the Chiefs, the Titans are hitting their stride at just the right time.

Much of the Titans success is on the legs of their versatile, punishing running back, Derrick Henry. Although Henry has been with the with the Titans since his 2016 rookie year, this year was his standout year. Not only did Henry lead the league in rushing and tie as rushing TD leader, he also made the Pro Bowl, and made 2nd-Team All-Pro. The 6’3″, 247 lbs. bruising RB rushed for 1.540 yards in this regular season along with 16 rushing TDs. During this postseason, Henry has averaged 196 rushing yards per game.

In their 35-32 last-minute win against the Chiefs in week 10 of this season, Henry again had superb numbers in that game, rushing for 188 yards, and scoring two TDs on the ground.

The Chiefs have not lost another game after that narrow victory by the Titans in Tennessee last November 10. Also noteworthy is that our still gimpy QB passed for 446 yards and three touchdowns. The Chiefs were also without several key team member because of injury, including offensive guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and offensive tackle Eric Fisher.

While the Titans seemed unable to stop the Chiefs offense during the earlier November game, punter Dustin Colquitt only punted one time against the Titans. The Titans couldn’t stop the Chiefs offense from moving the ball but the Chiefs were abysmal in the red zone… then ended up having to attempt six FGs (6). Had just one of those FGs been a TD, the game would have had a different outcome. Had just two of those FGs been a TD, the game would not even have been close. Also:

• Damien William’s had a fumble returned for TD on a scoop and score by Rashaan Evans
• TE Tyreek Hill was called for a holding penalty on a Travis Kelce TD, a drive which resulted in a FG.
• In the last seconds of the game, Chiefs long snapper James Winchester snapped the ball too early and holder Dustin Colquitt wasn’t ready, so he threw the ball away and was called for an intentional grounding penalty.

Oh, well, spilt milk, water under the bridge, Hakuna Matata, and all that jazz. Playoffs are a different atmosphere, we’re home at Arrowhead, and this Chiefs team is much better than the early November 2019 Chiefs.

Top Five Reasons That the Chiefs Will Win

Now for my top five reasons that the Chiefs will win this weekend.  Please remember these are not in any particular order, and one reason is just as important as any of the others.

Honey Badger and the Chiefs Defense

Almost immediately upon joining the Chiefs during the offseason, Tyrann Mathieu appointed himself the leader of this Chiefs defense and he’s not let up yet. He mentors, he scolds, he praises, and he asks nothing of his teammates that he, himself is unwilling to do. The Honey Badger — or “Landlord” as he sometimes likes to go by — provides on field generalship regardless of what chaos is unfolding in the game. The defense has responded, too. Much like Mahomes on offense, Mathieu makes everybody around him, on defense, better. He’s brought swagger to the Chiefs defense. Championship swagger.

Chiefs Coaching Staff and Front Office

Head coach, Andy Reid, along with general manager, Brett Veach, have changed the culture at Arrowhead One Drive. Reid is an offensive genius who really is a player’s coach.  Players want to play for him, and assistants want to coach for him. He now looks like a genius bringing in Steve Spagnola as DC, and nurturing along OC Eric Bieniemy, wrongly passed over for a head coaching position once again this year, however, he is killing it for the Chiefs. Veach has been a master manipulator of the team’s salary cap, deftly navigating the NFL draft and free-agency, somehow making the Chiefs better each year.  Even Chiefs owner, Clark Hunt, has learned the art of being a great team owner, being hands-on and accessible for coaches and players, but not overbearing and meddlesome (think Jerry Jones and Dan Snyder).

Chiefs Family and Kingdom

Yes, Chiefs Kingdom, you! Through good and bad, you’ve endured it all Chiefs fans. Since the early seventies, we’ve endured some truly horrific seasons, led by equally horrendous quarterbacks, and been “coached” by several atrocious head coaches. Yet, here we are, Chiefs Family, on the very cusp of greatness. A team, at its best, is a true reflection of their fanbase. It should shock no one, therefore, that the Chiefs are not only the best team in the AFC, but the entire NFL, too. You long-suffering fans, please take a moment and give yourselves a round of applause.

Chiefs Players, All of Them

Average, everyday, normal Chiefs players have stood up and made the plays they needed to during the game. I’m not talking about our marquee players like Kelce, Mahomes, Hill, Clark, and Honey Badger… but our blue-collar, everyman guys. Remember Sammy Watkins phenomenal performance week one against the Jacksonville Jaguars? How about “Dirty Dan” Sorenson’s pivotal fake punt stop, amazing open field tackle on Justin Reid, and forced fumble in last Sunday’s game? Even late acquisition aging great Terrell Suggs is already making his presence known, recording a sack in the Chiefs last regular season game against the Chargers.

Mahomes, Mahomes, Mahomes!

I’m not just talking about our QBs transcendental level of play or supernatural feats that Chiefs Kingdom has come to expect. You know, those things like the side-armed passes, the no look passes, the ability to score from anywhere on the field, channeling his inner-Tarkenton and buying more time with his legs, making something out of nothing. Young-gun Mahomes is the undisputed leader of the 2019 Kansas City Chiefs and they are a better team because of it. It was Mahomes who would not let his players quit or get discouraged down 24-0 in the first quarter last Sunday. Leadership at its finest!

I firmly believe that no other current NFL quarterback could have come back from that 24-0 deficit to down the Titans 31-51. Mahomes is the heart and soul of this team. His teammates give their all for this quarterback and do not want to let their leader down. His love for the game is as contagious to his troops as is his “never say die” attitude. His Chiefs respond to that.

The Lamar Hunt trophy will look great at Arrowhead One Drive and these Chiefs are the team to bring that beauty home.

Michael Travis Rose — ArrowheadOne

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